


let's pretend into forever

by Bellakitse



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Isak Valtersen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21652441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: “Let me get this straight,” Even starts. “You lied to your boss about having a boyfriend, told her it wasme, and now you need me to go with you to your science nerd dinner?”
Relationships: Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen
Comments: 30
Kudos: 389





	let's pretend into forever

**Author's Note:**

> for an anon over on tumblr.

In Isak’s defense, he doesn’t plan on the lie to get as big as it does.

He’s just started an internship at a research lab, and his boss is a lovely lady, if not a little nosy and way too observant, who spots the pride pin he has on his messenger bag. When she sees it, she mentions that her son is gay also. At first, he thinks she’s saying it in that way most straight people mention that they have a gay friend or relative to prove awkwardly that they’re an ally to the community.

But then Dr. Swanson follows up the conversation with comments that her son is around Isak’s age and single, the glint of a matchmaking mother in her eye, and the lie comes out of his mouth before he could stop it.

He starts telling her about his ‘boyfriend’ who he’s madly in love with, the words spilling out even as his brain tells him to shut the fuck up.

But because he’s not enough of an idiot, when the good doctor asks him the name of his boyfriend, he utters the last name he should ever say.

“His name is Even,” he says even as his brain gives him a sarcastic round of applause.

That should have been the end of it. He lied to his boss about a boyfriend he didn’t have and gave her the name of a friend he’s had a crush on forever, it’s not the smartest thing he’s ever done, but it didn’t have to go further than that.

Of course, because he’s the punchline to the universe’s cosmic joke, it doesn’t end there.

_No_ , a few weeks into his job, when he’s all but forgotten about his lies. His boss comes to him with an invitation to a department holiday party. One that interns aren’t usually invited to unless they’re being considered to stay on after their internship. He’s not done saying thank you when his boss with a bright smile tells him to make sure to bring the boyfriend he’s always talking about. He doesn’t get a chance to make up an excuse as to why Even can’t come, when his boss has already walked out of the lab. Leaving Isak with two options, admit that he’s a lying liar who lies _or_ keep the lie going by begging Even to pretend to be his boyfriend, and hope he doesn’t burst into flames when he asks.

His chances of that not happening don’t look good.

* * *

“Let me get this straight,” Even starts, and Isak shifts in his seat of the cafe he asked Even to meet him at, as an amused smile starts to make its way on Even’s handsome face. “You lied to your boss about having a boyfriend, told her it was _me,_ and now you need me to go with you to your science nerd dinner?”

_“Yes,”_ Isak gets out through clenched teeth, wondering why he even has a crush on the smug jerk, but Even’s smile grows until he’s laughing and Isak's breath catches. Even though Even is laughing at him, he’s still the most beautiful thing Isak has ever seen.

“Oh, Isak,” Even says fondly, shaking his head at him.

“Even,” Isak whines, and he’d be embarrassed about it, but frankly he thinks he’s tapped out in that department. “Please, don’t be a dick and do me this solid. I really want to work at this lab, and this is my way in.”

Even loses the amusement on his face as he quietly looks at Isak with an expression he sometimes gets, like he can see deep inside Isak’s soul. It always leaves him feeling exposed in a way that would be uncomfortable with anyone but Even.

“Okay.”

Isak opens his mouth to beg some more when Even’s answer registers with him. He gives Even an incredulous look, which Even answers with a roll of his eyes.

“I haven’t been able to say no to you since the day I met you, and you asked me to buy you beer,” Even says shaking his head, a fond smile on his face which Isak isn’t sure is for him or the memory of how they met. “I’m not going to say no to you now. You need a boyfriend, so I’ll be the best fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.”

Isak smiles at him in thanks, and if his chest hurts at the word fake as he watches Even sip his coffee, he tells himself it’s probably just indigestion.

* * *

The evening of the party arrives faster than Isak would like, and he finds himself at the entrance of a nicely decorated banquet hall with Even at his side looking even more gorgeous than usual in a black suit that seems custom made for him.

"Where did you even get that?" he asks, as he tugs on his tie, _his_ suit does not look as perfect as Even's. "Usually, you look like a handsome hobo with all your layers."

"I'm an artist," Even says with a snobbish voice, a teasing glint in his eye. "Homeless chic is our aesthetic."

Isak scoffs, trying to hide that he’s charmed as always, by everything Even does. This was such a bad idea, he thinks. There is no way they’re going to be able to pull this off without him making a fool of himself.

Lost in thought, he startles when Even slips his hand in his, looking up he catches gentle blue eyes watching him.

“Relax, it’s going to be fine,” Even says, squeezing his hand. “We got this.”

Isak lets out a breath, giving Even a small smile as he pulls him forward. He spots his boss in a corner with other members of the lab and heads towards her. Better to rip off the bandaid in one go.

Dr. Swanson smiles in their direction as they approach, her eyes sweeping Even up and down, studying him like something under her microscope. With a squeeze of his own on Even’s hand, he greets his boss.

“Dr. Swanson,” he starts with a smile, hoping it doesn’t come out like a grimace. “Thank you again for inviting us, may I introduce to you Even, my boy-“

“The fiancé!” the good doctor says at the same time with a pleased grin, and Isak can feel the way Even jerks at his side, while his boss gives him a confused look.

“Ummm,” Isak stumbles over, and he tries to remember when in his web of lies did Even go from boyfriend to fiancé.

“Still just boyfriend,” Even says with a charmingly bashful smile. “He’s making me work for the fiancé title, though if he’s calling me his fiancé at work, my odds are better than I thought. Nice to meet you, Dr. Swanson. I’m Even, Isak speaks so highly of you, ma’am.”

Dr. Swanson looks charmed, turning a shade of pink as Even raises her hand to his lips. “Ellen, please,” she smiles brightly. “Handsome and so _charming_ ,” she says, reaching out to touch his arm. “I can see why Isak is always gushing about you. I’m sure the title of fiancé will be yours soon, dear.”

Even laughs as he wraps his arm around Isak’s shoulder. “Here’s hoping,” he grins, pressing a kiss to Isak’s temple. “He’s worth the wait.”

Ellen gives them a motherly look, and Isak has to look away, so the absolute guilt he’s feeling about lying to her doesn’t show on his face.

The rest of the night is hell.

Even is the perfect boyfriend, charming everyone he meets. He’s attentive with Isak, touching him in ways that show a level of intimacy that Isak has been craving from him since he met Even years ago. It leaves him sad and lovesick to know that it’s all pretend.

Until now, he’s been able to delude himself into thinking that his feelings for Even are just a silly crush on a friend, like back in high school when he had a thing for Jonas. But with every smile Even gives him, love shining in his eyes for the benefit of his coworkers, Isak realizes just how much he wishes it was real.

There’s no denying it any longer, he’s in love with Even Bech Næsheim, and he aches with the knowledge that nothing about tonight is real. It leaves him antsy to end this charade, get home, and have himself a good cry.

They leave the party after making one final round of the floor, everyone they say goodbye tells Even what a pleasure it was to meet him, smiling coyly at Isak when they say they hope to see him again soon. Through it all Even continues to smile a bright grin, making up for the fact that Isak has barely said a word in the last hour.

The ride back to Isak’s apartment is quiet and tense, Isak can feel Even’s eyes on him the whole way home. They get to his place, and Isak hopes Even will just let him out and drive off, but as Even parks his car and turns his engine off, Isak knows it’s too much to ask.

“How about a beer?” Even asks, an uncertain smile as he pulls his keys out of the ignition on his face.

Isak gives him a nod; it’s the least he can do after Even’s help tonight, he can control himself for a little bit longer, he has all night to mope and cry into his pillow after all. They head up to his apartment, smaller than the one he used to share with Eskild and Linn back in high school. But at 25, he’ll take a place the size of a shoebox as long as it’s his own.

Even takes off his shoes and coat, leaving them by the door, he heads towards the kitchen, moving around Isak’s place like someone who is used to being in the space, like he belongs there, and Isak is only now realizing how much he wants that to be true.

“You want to tell me what’s wrong?” Even asks as he leans against Isak’s counter, beer in hand. “I thought it went well tonight.”

Isak nods, his eyes downcast on his beer as he rests against the sink. “You were great,” he gets out, finally looking up at Even, trying to give him a reassuring smile when Even looks at him concerned. “They bought it,” he continues. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have bought you being in love with me too,” he jokes with a weak laugh, waiting for Even to join in.

Even looks at him, his blue eyes locked on Isak, making him shiver from the intensity. “Would that be so unbelievable?” he asks quietly, pushing off the counter to close the gap between them. “So hard to believe that I could love you?”

“Don’t,” Isak whispers, his heart giving a painful thump. “You don’t mean that.”

“So you think I’m that good of an actor then?” Even questions, as he places his hands on either side of Isak, trapping him between him and the sink. “I’m an aspiring director Isak, not an actor,” he whispers as he leans in close, his face inches away from Isak’s.

Isak looks at him and sees the same expression Even has been giving him all night as he pretended to be the perfect loving boyfriend for his coworkers, only this time, there isn’t an audience but Isak.

“You mean?” Isak starts, swallowing hard as Even waits him out with a patient expression on his face, gently amused as Isak finally starts to get it. “You wanted tonight to be real?” he asks, his heart beating faster as hope starts to creep in. “You want us to date?”

“Isak,” Even laughs softly, his hands coming up to cup Isak’s face. “I’d go out and buy you a ring right now if I thought you would say yes, but I’ll settle for dating for now.”

Isak can’t stop the wide smile that takes over his face, and he doesn’t want to, he grabs hold of Even’s waist pulling him closer, letting out a sigh as Even presses his body against his.

“Since when?” he asks as Even touches his nose against his, his mouth inches away.

“Since the moment you asked me if I could use my ID to buy you beer,” Even answers with a twinkle in his eye as he remembers the first time they spoke at school, back when Isak was 17.

“I’m going to yell at you for wasting all these years later. That was eight years ago, Even, we could have been married by now,” Isak complains, him cutting him off with his lips when Even starts to laugh again, it turns into a groan and Even isn’t wasting time now, his mouth opens under Isak’s to deepen the kiss.

Isak sighs happily, lost in the taste of Even, and the love he’s felt for so long. He thinks as he guides Even to his bedroom never once breaking their kiss, that he has a chance to make his lie a reality.

* * *

One Year Later

Isak looks up as his boss Ellen walks into what is now _his_ lab, with a smile and an envelope in her hand, she hands it over to him.

Looking down at it, Isak opens the invitation to the annual department party.

“Can we expect you and your plus one?” she asks, teasing smile on her face.

It wasn’t easy to admit to her that he had lied to her months ago, but he felt that he owed her that. Luckily Ellen had taken it with humor, especially when he told her his lie had actually gotten him and Even together.

“Yes,” he says with a smile of his own looking back down at the invitation, the gold band on his left ring finger catching his eye, a symbol of the forever they’ve promised each other. “My husband and I will be there.”


End file.
